In the western area, one of the biggest essentials for families and businesses is mobile connectivity and home internet, but according to peak communications consumer body, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), few people are actively checking the market for a better deal.To better understand the way customer’s experience these services, ACCAN has developed the ACCAN Consumer Sentiment Tracker.The recurring national survey provides an insight into consumer use, attitudes and the experiences of users.It captures key insights into: How important mobile and home internet access is to Australians What factors matter most when choosing a provider Levels of trust and satisfaction with current services How often people are switching providers Consumer satisfaction with how complaints are handled While Telstra remains the leading choice for phone service in western NSW due largely to coverage and accessibility in rural and remote areas, followed by Optus, then Vodaphone, Telstra still has around 40.9% of the home Internet accounts for the area.But some users across the region say it is simply a matter of finding the most reliable service, cost aside.“We were with Telstra for years, but service was patchy, and it was difficult to get a technician to our remote property,” said a western area farmer.“It’s ridiculous to be paying for services we are not receiving. "We need to have a service we can rely on, not only for our business, but for safety, as we go about our day-to-day farming activities, home schooling or driving between properties.“Accidents happen, and we need to know we have a service that will be there when we need it. "We did some research and joined up with Starlink which has been a gamechanger,” he said. “It makes sense to do the research to get the best product for you.”Member for Barwon Roy Butler - Image Mr Butler."It's essential to review your mobile phone and home plan annually to ensure you're getting the best deal,” said Member for Barwon Roy Butler.“When you set and forget home internet and mobile phone plans, often the better products are offered to new customers, and long-term customers end up subsidising new customers. “Connectivity is even more important in remote parts of the state, where access to emergency services can mean the difference between life and death,” said Mr Butler.Ellem family of Tottenham - Image L Ellem.Lyndel Ellem of Tottenham says that while they are not dependent on high-speed internet for school or work, basic internet is working okay for them, but in terms of mobile services these appear to be getting worse rather than better.“With every ‘improved’ service 3G, 4G 5G, our coverage has only become worse. Less coverage and less reliable. “We have had to buy our own hardware to marginally improve our service. “As people give up the cost of their landline connections (because they have reliable mobile services) we continue to pay monthly for our landline, so we have some kind of reliable connection in an emergency,” said Mrs Ellem. “It will be very helpful if ACCAN listens to consumers to see where communication products are working and where they are not."A Western area business owner said it is imperative they have the most reliable source of communication to keep up to date in their business and any research into this can only be a good thing.“We cannot afford to have a service that is not 100% reliable as otherwise we lose money and customers, so it really matters to us that we have the best possible option.“We have tried a few different services and finally settled on one, which we are happy with. We are not concerned with cost at this point as we just need a service that we can rely on,” she said.ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett - Image ACCAN.ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett said the Consumer Sentiment Tracker will become a vital tool for discovering what Australians really think about the communications market with recent results already highlighting big issues. “We hear directly from consumers every day about the pressures they’re facing. This research helps us back those stories with data, and we will use it to drive change in the sector,” Ms Bennett said. “Already, we’ve learned that almost 9 in ten Australians need constant home internet access and three in four Australians say they need constant or near-constant mobile internet access.” “At the same time, only 27% of consumers are searching the market for a better plan each year, and only 10% follow through and change their mobile provider. That tells us it needs to be easier for consumers to compare the market.” “In a market where real competition is limited, we need better tools and safeguards—like a concessional broadband product and an independent, trusted comparison tool to help people find fairer deals.” “With the ACCAN Consumer Sentiment Tracker, we have another tool to inform our policy solutions to government, regulators and industry on practical changes that make communications fairer, more affordable, accessible and reliable for everyone,” Ms Bennett concluded. The research suite – Consumer Sentiment Tracker, July 2025, is now available on the ACCAN website.